IDENTIFYING FACTORS THAT AFFECT FL LEARNERS ORAL PARTICIPATION AT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN COLOMBIA

Abstract

This article reports a case study that attempted to identify factors that affect foreign language (FL) students’ oral participation at a public university in Colombia. Participants were six foreign language students at the beginning-level. Findings revealed that some anxiety signs such as general avoidance, physical actions and physical symptoms   are the factors that affect FL students at the moment of speaking in front of the class. It was also found that role-plays are the activities in which students are actively engaged and workbook activities are ones in which they are less involved.

Key words

FL students, oral participation, speaking, anxiety